Cruel Summer
by CSI1983
Summary: A shock announcement leaves Sara in the sights of a dangerous rapist  GSR
1. Chapter 1

Cruel Summer

Chapter One – Devil In The Wishing Well

Sara Sidle was enjoying her first coffee of the evening in the break room, the silence a more then welcome relief. For some reason, the last few days had been so quiet, a change from the normally controlled chaos from the lab. And Sara was enjoying it while she could; she knew that it never lasted as long as one wished it would. She continued to flick through the magazine she had on her lap, scanning the article quickly to find the good bits.

"Did you hear what Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes called their new little girl?"

Catherine Willows strolled into the room, on smile on her face as she took in the relaxed Sara. It must be quiet if this workaholic was sitting back, catching up on Hollywood gossip.

"I have no idea, but I'm sure you're dying to tell me."

"Suri. Have they never heard of normal baby names? First Apple and now this."

Sara glanced at Catherine again, her face pulling into a frown.

"Aren't you meant to be hanging out with Lindsey today?"

Catherine crossed over to the coffee machine, her black boots clicking loudly on the lino floor.

"So did I but apparently I'm not cool anymore. The only thing cool about me is my wallet."

Sara offered Catherine a sympathetic smile.

"I remember that stage well. Anyone over the age of twenty-five are just old and senile. Cookie?"

Catherine took a handful from the box that Sara offered and took a seat beside her.

"You seen Grissom this shift?"

Sara shook her head.

"Nah, I think he's in his office catching up on paperwork"

Catherine was about to answer when she saw a tall, young black woman standing in the door way.

"Hi, can I help you?"

The woman nodded, stepping further into the room.

"I'm looking for Sara Sidle."

Sara waved a little at the woman.

"That's me. How can I help you?"

Sara noted the woman's stunned expression as she stood before them, as she ran her eyes over Sara.

"I'm Keisha Henderson. Do you think we could talk privately?"

Catherine exchanged a quick look with Sara before standing and grabbing the box of cookies.

"I'll go and feed the beast that is Grissom."

Keisha gave Catherine a quick smile before her eyes came to rest on Sara again.

"Did you want a coffee Keisha?"

Keisha shook her head as she perched herself on the very edge of the seat.

"So what can I do for you Keisha?"

Keisha pulled a file from the briefcase that she had with her, sliding out a small snapshot and handing it to Sara. Sara examined it closely, going over the huge group of faces, her heart dropping as she fell on a terribly familiar one.

"Why do you have a picture of my dad?"

"He's my father too. That's my mom, uncle and my older brothers that he is with."

Sara could not find any words to comprehend what the woman, this stranger had said. How do you take in that kind of information?

"You must be mistaken."

Keisha opened the file again and withdrew a faded slip of paper handing it too Sara.

"He's my father, there is no mistake."

Sara pushed the picture and birth certificate back into Keisha's hands.

"You need to leave."

Keisha said nothing, just quietly gathered her belongings and walked out of the break room. Sara waited until she was gone before she let the tears fall. She had hated her father before he died, but now she had even more reason to hate him. Not only had he beaten the living shit out of her mother, brother and himself but he had cheated on her. Sara let herself cry for a few more minutes before choosing to push the event away, choosing to push herself into old and cold cases.

"Sara, we got a case. You want in?"

Gil Grissom stood in the doorway, his face pulled into a happy smile. He hated it when it was this quiet. She nodded and followed him into his office, taking a seat next to Grissom.

"Warrick, Catherine and Nick, you guys have a B and E on Willow Drive. Sara you and I have a rape case on Holdings Ave."

Sara nodded and followed Grissom outside the lab, settling herself in the driver's side of the truck. Brass was waiting for them when they arrived, his back against one of the squad cars, his face somber.

"Poor woman was a block away from home, stopped here to pick up some shopping when she was attacked. He pounded her before he raped her, left her for dead."

"I.D?"

"Keisha Henderson."

Sara froze as Grissom continued to walk beside Brass, neither of them noticing her reaction. Sara's stomach twisted in a series of painful knots, vomit raising in her throat, burning the flesh.

"Sara?"

Grissom stepped back a little so that he was beside her, his hand coming to rest on her elbow. Sara gave him a small smile before continuing the short walk to the crime scene.

"I'm fine Grissom."

Grissom watched her closely as she moved ahead of him. Keisha was sitting in the ambulance, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders while a medic checked her over. Keisha smiled slightly when she saw Sara.

"Sara. I'm sorry about earlier."

"That's ok Keisha. What happened?"

The woman shrugged, gasping as she grasped her left side.

"I don't remember much. He hit me once and after that everything is a blur."

"Did you see him?"

Keisha shook her head.

"No, I didn't. He did speak though; he said 'This is for what you did black bitch.'

The medic looked at Sara, his face pulled into a small frown.

"I'm sorry but we need to get Mrs. Henderson to the hospital."

Sara gave Keisha a quick smile before the medic closed the door and the bus drove away.

"Care to tell me what that was about?"

Sara could feel Grissom's hard glare on her face as she tried to keep his eyes from hers.

"Keisha is my sister. I found out earlier tonight. She came to the office and told me."

Sara finally turned to face Grissom, the shock clear on his normally passive face.

"Sister?"

"Apparently my father had interests outside of his marriage to my mother."

Grissom nodded as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Right, there is no way that I can let you continue with this case, you know that right?"

Sara crossed her arms over her chest.

"Let me collect the physical evidence, get a statement then you can take me off."

Grissom frowned at her.

"That's it Sara, I mean it. Physical, statement, nothing else."

Sara nodded.

"Thanks Grissom. I'll buy you breakfast."

Grissom shrugged as he handed her the keys.

"Promise me you will be careful. Take the truck and call me as soon as you are done."

Sara nodded as she caught the keys that Grissom tossed her, slipping into the drivers seat, giving Grissom a little wave as she drove off.

* * *

Sara had to sit for over three hours before she could finally see Keisha. She was sitting up in bed, her hands, wrist and head bandaged. She also had butterfly stitches pulling the pieces of damaged skin back together.

"Hey Keisha, how are you feeling?"

""A little sore and tired."

Sara moved further into the room, her kit in her left hand, her camera bumping her stomach as she walked closer to the bed.

"Good. We have a lot to do Keisha. First we need to remove your bandages so that I can photograph your wounds."

"That's why the nurses didn't clean them right? So that the evidence would remain there"

"That's right. They are getting better and better at keeping the evidence safe."

Sara placed her kit on the table at the end of the hospital bed, pulling out al of the odds and ends that she needed to gather the rest of the physical evidence. She clicked on her latex gloves before giving her a small smile.

"This may hurt Keisha."

Keisha nodded and closed her eyes as Sara began to remove the bandages, placing them into evidence bags carefully.

"So are you married?"

Sara kept her tone and the conversation light. She was trying to distract her, keep her occupied so that she could do this with little or no trouble.

"Yeah, since I was sixteen."

"Wow, that's young. Any kids?"

"Yes, six kids. Three boys and three girls."

Sara started scrape under Keisha's bloodied fingernails, the pieces of evidence falling into the small paper that lay beneath.

"You've been busy. What are their names?"

Keisha let out a slight gasp as Sara accidentally hooked a loose nail bed.

"Sorry Keisha. Keep going."

"My oldest is Kole, he's sixteen, Elizabeth who is fourteen, Harvey is thirteen, Xander is eleven, Ester is nine and Quinlee is one."

Sara smiled at her as she moved onto the next hand.

"Oh, was Quinlee a surprise?"

Keisha shook her head.

"They all were. I was told I could not have kids. Then when I did fall pregnant, Michael and I decided we would have as many as we could afford."

Sara moved onto taking pictures of Keisha's battered face and hands, continuing with the questions, which seemed to make the woman relax.

"I bet she is spoilt rotten."

"Is she ever. Michel and the kids adore her but she's a little tyrant."

"Why? What does she do?"

"Hides in the dryer. The only way we know that she is actually in there is that her dog Susie is sitting outside of the machine."

"How many dogs do you have?"

"Three. Michel has Hudson, a mutt that he got from the pound. Susie who is a German Shepard and Frank who is a Mastiff. We also have three cats, four goldfish, two hamsters and two turtles."

"Your house sounds like a complete zoo."

"It is but it's home."

Sara finished her processing and finally took a seat beside Keisha, her kit closed and back on the floor beside her.

"I know you don't remember much but could you describe what little you do remember?"

Keisha nodded as she fiddled with the I.V tubing in her arm.

"He was fairly solid build, he smelt like alcohol and tobacco, his voice was raspy and he was wearing a raincoat."

"How do you know that he was wearing a raincoat?"

"You know that swishy sound they make when fabric meets fabric? That's how. I don't remember much else."

Sara quickly wrote down the points, jumping when a man came barreling into the room.

"Keisha baby, what happened?"

The man ignored Sara as he stood over his wife, his entire focus on Keisha. He was a massive man, with board shoulders, a wide chest and muscular arms. His hair was cut close to his head and his handsome face was a mask of concern.

"I'm fine Michael. Are the kids ok?"

Michael nodded as his eyes scanned over his wife's injured body.

"Kole is babysitting."

"Do they know what happened?"

"I explained the best I could. Ester locked herself in the room with Hudson and Kole went all quiet."

Keisha nodded before she pointed to Sara.

"Michael, this is Sara."

Michel looked Sara up and down, his face pulled into a confused frown.

"But you're white."

"Michel!! Be polite!"

Michel gave Sara a small smile.

"Sorry, it's just a bit of a surprise, that's all."

Sara shook his hand, her smaller one becoming lost in his massive grip.

"To you and me both. I'm the CSI assigned to your wife's rape case."

Michel froze and Sara watched as the mask of concern was washed away with one of anger.

"Find him before I do. I don't want the kids to have to visit me in jail."

Sara nodded and watched as Michel returned to his wife's side, his hand coming to rest on her foot, stroking her toes gently. Sara had always found it fascinating the way a married couple interacted. The ones that she often saw, the ones that were normal and had been touched by a utterly horrible event, loved each other so much that you could see it in a glance or a touch. She felt jealous of those that had found that bond, that soul mate that loved them on every level. She was also glad that Keisha had in during this time, when everything else was so uncertain.

* * *

"Did you get what you needed?"

Grissom sat behind his desk, turning his attention from the files only when Sara entered the room and took a seat across from him.

"Not really. She does not remember that much. Greg's doing the rape kit now."

Grissom nodded his eyes still on her.

"How are you?"

Sara shrugged, not quite sure what to do with Grissom's concern.

"Ok I guess. I mean I don't really know her so it makes it a little easier."

Grissom sung an open file towards her, his glasses slipping down his nose slightly.

"I did a little research on Keisha Henderson while you were out. She works at a school for kids from gangs and abuse situations. And it turns out that in the last three years there have been several attacks on the teachers and their families. Car bomb, drive bys and such."

Sara let out a low whistle.

"I hope that none of her kids have been threatened."

Grissom raised an eyebrow.

"Keisha has six kids."

Sara closed the file and watched Grissom with steady eyes.

"I want to stay on this case."

"I can't let you do that. You have a personal involvement in this case and I will not let that destroy what we have."

Sara nodded before handing Grissom a slip of paper.

"If you don't let me stay on this case, I will have to take personal leave."

"Reason?"

"To support a family I never knew I had. I need to be involved Gil, whether it be in a personal or professional capacity."

Sara took her things and left the office, leaving him to make his decision. She had already made hers.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N - This chapter is a little shorter then any onf the others I have writtne but it gets the point across. Thanks for reading._

Chapter Two – Steady As She Goes

Sara could not decide if it was creepy or not that she was watching Keisha sleeping. But despite the creep factor, she could not tear her eyes away. She was trying to find something that proved that the same blood flowed through their veins but there was not a lot there. She must have taken after her mother in terms of looks because Sara could not find a scrap of her father in her half sisters features. She had large lips, big round eyes and a small narrow nose. The only thing that Sara recognized in Keisha was the long fingers and narrow wrists that they both shared. Keisha started to stir at that point, her eyes fluttering open.

"Hey Sara."

Sara smiled down as she helped Keisha sit up before taking her own seat again.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore"

Sara nodded as an uncomfortable silence fell. How do you talk to a stranger that had suddenly turned into family?

"How did our father die?"

"Did your mother never tell you?"

"No, she just said that he had died."

My mother killed him. He used to beat her as well as my brother and I. One day he pushed my mother too far and she stabbed him to death."

"So what happened to you?"

"I looked after myself. I was in and out of foster homes for most of my life, bouncing from family to family. Then I was accepted to Berkley and I never looked back."

"Sara, I'm sorry that I dropped this on you the way I did, I was just so excited to have finally found you. It took two years to hunt you down."

"And I'm sorry I kicked you out of the lab. I was shocked."

Keisha shook her head and gave her another bright smile.

"It's forgotten."

Sara held out a large brown paper bag.

"I called Michel and found out what magazines you like and I also heard from one of you kids that you liked green seedless grapes."

Sara laid the magazines and grapes on the table beside the hospital bed before settling herself back in he seat.

"Keisha, my boss found out about those other attacks at the school."

"And I refuse to believe that those kids are responsible. They are good kids Sara, all of them."

"They all have records Keisha and they are all prone to anger."

Keisha shook her head, her eyes flashing.

"Nobody gives them any credit they always jump to conclusions when it comes to my kids. Now you sit there telling me that one of them could have done this to me, raped me and left me for dead. People change you know Sara."

Sara held her hands up, trying to calm the younger woman down.

"Listen Keisha, this is part of an investigation. Everybody gets checked out and dismissed as a suspect. We even took a DNA sample from Michel. All the bases need to be covered. Until we have a solid suspect, we need to be suspicious of everyone in your life, your kids included."

"You took a DNA sample from my husband?"

"It's nesscasary if you had sex twenty-four hours before the rape. Did you?"

Keisha said nothing, so Sara continued.

"Your husband's sexual fluids will remain inside you fro at least twenty-four hours, so they were there when the attack happened. If the rapist used a condom-"

"He didn't use a condom. I could feel it."

Sara watched as the anger drained from Keisha's face.

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't use a condom, I could feel it. He also didn't ejaculate."

"Which would mean that it was someone young or someone with incredible control. Keisha, how often did you stop at the store?"

"Almost everyday. It's cheap and I like the people there. Why?"

"Because I think someone knew you were going to be there. They obviously had a problem with something you had done, which does not make this a random attack. This is premeditated attack. Can you think of anyone who would want to do this to you?"

"No, of course not. Not any of my kids at school or anyone else I know."

Sara stood and smiled down at Keisha.

"I had better get back to the lab and start processing the suspects. I'll see you later Keisha."

Sara closed the door behind her, her mind already trying to process the infinite possibilities of this case.

Warrick was sitting at the break room table doing paperwork when Sara strode in, a frown on her face.

"Warrick, I need your help."

Warrick closed the file, giving her his full attention.

"With what?"

Sara sat down in the chair across from him.

"With something that could get you into trouble with Grissom."

Warrick sat back in his seat, arms across his chest as he studied her.

"This is to do with the Henderson case, isn't it?"

Sara nodded.

"And why would I get into trouble?"

"It's complicated."

Warrick gave her a wide smile.

"And until I know what it is, I'm not going to help you."

Sara sighed loudly, running her hands through her hair.

"Keisha Henderson is my half sister. My father had an affair with her mother."

Warrick let out a low whistle.

"Heavy. So why exactly do you need my help?"

"Because Grissom didn't want me on this case."

"Oh I see. So what do you need me to do exactly?"

Sara gave Warrick a wide smile.

"You rock."

"I know. I've been telling people that for years but they all refuse to listen."

Sara handed Warrick a piece of paper.

"Keisha Henderson worked at St Cameron's. It's a kid for schools from underprivileged families and abusive situations."

"And parents who are involved in illegal activities?"

"Yup. I need your help because I doubt these kids would talk to me. The only cool thing about me is my freezer at home. You know how to talk to them, you were one of them."

Warrick nodded.

"Ok white girl, I'll help you out. But only because I want to make sure you stay out of trouble."

"Thanks Warrick."

The school was much bigger then Sara had expected, and considering the neighborhood and what kind of kids attended, it was less run down that she had assumed it would be. The only thing that threw her off was the metal detectors at every entrance and the big burly, security guards that stood on either side of each one. For a moment she remembered the prison that she had visited recently for another case, which had been laid out in the same manner. Thanks to their kits, the metal detectors beeped excitedly but they passed through untouched when they flashed their ID's to the guards, who had been expecting them. They found Keisha's class room easily and watched from the door as the group of twenty kids harassed their substitute teacher, like hunters baiting and teasing their prey. Warrick caught the poor teacher's eyes and she came to the door, relieved from some sort of rest from the kids.

"Can I help you?"

"We need to talk to these students. You could go and get a coffee."

The teacher glanced at the kids, only taking a second to make her decision.

"Their all yours."

The teacher pushed past them and headed down the hall, disappearing around the corner as fast as her short legs could take her. The kids didn't seem to notice that their teacher had gone; resuming whatever conversations that they had been in before she had rudely interrupted them with her attempt at teaching. Warrick strode into the room with the same confidence that he showed at a crime scene, Sara following closely behind. He took a position in the center of the room and took a deep breath.

"YO! Eyes up front!"

Sara wasn't sure if the silence that fell was one of shock or curiosity but either way, soon all eyes were on the two CSI's.

"My name is Warrick and this is Sara. We wanted to talk to you about what happened to your teacher, Keisha Henderson."

The talking started again, and soon questions were being thrown at them from every corner of the room. Warrick held up his hands and the room fell silent again.

"One at a time please. I'm sure you all know the raise you hand routine."

Every kid had a question and Warrick picked them out one by one.

"Are you guy's pigs?"

"No we're scientists. We collect things like DNA and fiber to catch the bad guy."

A young girl stood and judging by the silence that fell when she held up her hands, she was clearly the leader of this unlikely group of kids. Her hair was short and pulled into tight cornrows, her clothes pained on her slim frame.

"Was Mrs. Henderson really raped? No one is telling us the truth and we want to know."

Warrick nodded as he moved to perch himself on the edge of the teachers desk.

"Yes she was. That is why we are here."

The girl crossed her arms against her chest and glared at the scientists.

"Let me guess, we're all suspects."

An uproar went ripping through the class, they began to yell and swear at the scientists. Silence fell again as the girl raised one hand.

"I'll tell you something both for free. Nobody in this room attacked Mrs. Henderson. We all liked and respected her. She was a friend and she trusted us more then even our own parents. Just because we have records does not mean we would want to hurt her."

Sara studied the girl with the same intensity that she was studying them.

"What's your name?"

"Helena Johnson."

Sara nodded as she placed her kit on the desk, popping it open.

"You seem like a smart girl Helena, so I'm not going to dick you around. Someone sexually assaulted Mrs. Henderson and we want to know who. We need DNA samples from everyone here so that we can eliminate you as suspects."

The girl continued to stare at Sara.

"So by giving you a DNA sample we get knocked off your list?"

Sara nodded and Helena turned back to her classmates.

"Don't fuck these guys around ok? The sooner we do this, the sooner they find the freak that did this to Mrs. Henderson."

There were nods of agreement and murmurs of approval and Helena turned back to Sara.

"You should know that there are people out there who are looking for the guy who did this. If you don't find him before they do, he'll be dead."

Sara offered Helena a small smile.

"I can't say I'll be disappointed."

Helena offered one of her own back and took her seat again, watching as Sara and Warrick took out their cotton swabs and evidence bags.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N - So here it is, chapter three. The long awaited installment for Cruel Summer. This chapter is dedicated to my good friend Alicia. The reason that this chapter was so long coming was because Alicia recently had surgery on her ankle and I have been looking after her. But I finally nutted down and got it done. So read, enjoy and as always, reveiw. _

Chapter Three – Bedroom Dancing

Grissom felt his disappointment the same way that he felt his heart beating in his chest. He knew that Sara would react the way that she did and yet for some reason, still expected something different from her. He knew that she was a driven person, part of that was run on pure emotion and that was what got her into trouble. Her had seen her explode and had seen her crumble, each time doing what he could to help her pick up the shattered pieces, doing everything to keep his distance while trying to help her at the same time. He had watched as Sara toed the line over and over again, taking it too far with suspects and disrespecting her co-workers but then just when he was starting to lose track of who she was, she stunned him with her bravery and he found himself swallowing the anger, replacing it with long standing admiration. He had watched her become an incredible scientist and he had recently allowed himself the admittance of just how much he admired her outside of the work context. He didn't know what these feelings meant but he knew he had to push them away. She thought he was pushing her away but he wanted to protect her from himself, from the socially inept person that he was. She deserved someone who could give her so much more then that.

"Hey Grissom."

Sara stood in the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier."

Sara came further into the room, taking a seat across from Grissom. He didn't say say anything, just watched her.

"I never should have given you an ultimatum. I'm sorry."

Grissom shrugged.

"It's ok. Warrick told me where you guys were earlier."

Sara nodded and fiddled with the cuff of her sweater.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Grissom shook his head, dismissing her apology.

"Forget it. I'll let you hang around Warrick since he's on the case now. Just make sure you tell me if it gets too much ok?"

Sara nodded, her face breaking into a smile.

"Ok, I can do that."

Grissom moved forward in his seat, his eyes finding hers.

"I know that I don't know what you are going through but I hope you don't consider me completely heartless."

Sara's face softened. As she shook her head slightly.

"Never Grissom, never. You may think differently from others but you are far from heartless."

"Good to hear it. How is Keisha doing?"

"She's ok I guess. She's dealing with it better then I would, that's for sure. She defended those kids to the ground and when I met them, I believed her. What worries me though is that one of the girls was saying how they have their own people hunting for the guy who did this to Keisha."

"We know they've succeeded if he turns up dead."

"Something else that Keisha remembered was that the rapist didn't use a condom and didn't ejaculate."

Grissom cocked an eyebrow over his glasses.

"Interesting. Suggests control or anger."

"Did Greg get anything off the rape kit?"

Grissom shook his head.

"Aside from the fact she was definitely raped, no."

"There was no doubt about that though, was there?"

"Certainly not. Have you been home yet?"

Sara shook her head.

"No. I've been far too busy."

"Well, make sure you do. You're no good to anyone over tired."

Sara nodded and stood. She turned to leave the room, feeling Grissom's eyes on her back the entire time.

* * *

Sara grabbed the small red basket and started walking around the store, her list in her hand. She followed her list, grabbing milk, cheese, bread, corn chips, microwave popcorn and some seedless grapes. She went to the check out, waiting for the bored looking teenager, waiting for the kid to put the other customers shopping through. He quickly put hers through, his eyes not even meeting hers.

"That's $34.50. Is that cash or credit?"

"Cash thanks."

She handed over exact change before grabbing her receipt and bags and heading out the door. She had her keys in her hand and bags between her ankles when it happened. She heard the footsteps behind her but paid no attention, presuming that it was just another customer from the store. She turned but was too slow and felt a strong hand twist her arm around and up between her shoulder blades. Another hand pushed her forward until her chest was touching the bonnet of her car. She opened her mouth to scream but a large, sweaty palm covered it before she could do anything.

"You should mind your own business."

A body pressed against her back, the voice hot in her ear. She could smell bourbon and cigarettes on the mans breath and his voice was raspy and low.

"Back off bitch or next time you will really get hurt."

The hand was gone from her mouth and was now on the back of her head.

"I mean it……Sara Sidle."

The last thing that Sara heard was the sick crack as her head was slammed into the bonnet, her last thought was whether or not her diary products would spoil.

The next thing she heard was more footsteps and a panicked voice demanding an ambulance. Sara realized she was still pressed against her car, the cool metal on the small of her back making her shiver. She couldn't open her eyes, the stars of pain still popping bright behind her lids. It hurt to much to breathe let alone speak. She felt someone touch her wrist, checking for a pulse she presumed. She heard her wallet being popped open and someone say her name, yet she continued to be still. She wished she had the energy to answer but Sara felt herself sink back into the deep black of unconsciousness, hoping that help would come soon.

* * *

Someone was holding her hand. She opened her eyes with a moan, the light searing her retina, her head pounding in a horrible rhythm.

"Turn the lights off."

The hand left hers and the room was plunged into darkness.

"Thank you"

The hand returned to hers and Sara was able to open her eyes fully. She soon realized it was Grissom who sat by her side.

"Grissom…How did I get here?"

"Someone found you in the car park. Was it the same guy?'

"Yes. He knew who I was. He must have followed me."  
Sara raised a hand and tentatively explored her head and face, discovering the large dressing that covered a painful gash across her for head. When she explored a little further, she found a huge bump just to the left of her temple.

"He threatened me just before he made me kiss the bonnet. Ow! God damn that hurts. What did the doctors say?"

"Concussion and laceration but you'll be fine. You just have to take it easy for a few days. Have you noticed anyone following you?"

"No. I don't even go to that store all that often, it was the only one open that early."

"I'm not happy with you continuing this case Sara, you could have been really hurt."

"I need to close this case Grissom. With or without your support, I need to be involved."

There was a knock on the door and a familiar face poked around the corner.

"Oh god Sara, are you ok?"

Michel Henderson approached Sara's bedside, his face ashen.

"I'm fine Michel. A bit of a headache, but I'm fine. Michel this is my boss Grissom, Grissom this is Keisha's husband."

The two men shook hands and Michel turned back to Sara.

"Keisha sends her love. I'm so sorry Sara."

"It's not your fault Michel, there's no need to feel guilty ok?"

"Was it the same guy?"

Grissom nodded, watching as the big man's face fell.

"Did he…did he do..?"

Michel couldn't finish the sentence but Sara knew what he was getting at. Sara tightened her grip on Michel's hand.

"He didn't rape me Michel."

The large man sunk into the chair next to her bed, his face relieved.

"Thank God. Keisha and I were so worried about that, we thought that he had done to you what he had done to her."

"It's ok. He just made me kiss my bonnet, that's all"

Michel gave a half smile before standing again.

"I had better give the good news to Keisha. She's getting out tomorrow and wants you to come to dinner at some time, meet the kids and all that. You're welcome to come too Mr. Grissom, Keisha likes to show off her culinary skills to anyone who will sit still long enough."

Sara gave the big man a wide smile.

"Sure. Tell Keisha I'll be in touch ok? And give her my love. Take care of her ok?"

"Always."

Michel hesitated for a moment before leaning forward and giving Sara quick kiss on the cheek and with a quick nod to Grissom, he left the room.

"Nice guy"

Sara turned her focus back to Grissom's hand which was still wrapped tightly around hers. His thumb was making small circles on her skin, shooting little jets of electricity up her arm.

"I'm glad you're ok."

"So am I. I didn't mean to give you a fright."

Grissom shrugged before he gave her a small smile and dropped her hand on the bed as he stood.

"You need to get some more sleep if you want back on this case."

"You're talking about work while I'm lying here with a head injury?'

Grissom's voice was low as he leaned forward, his breath stirring her hair.

"I'm just saying what you were thinking."  
Grissom allowed himself to kiss her gently on the cheek, tearing himself away before he could linger too long near her soft skin. He let himself out of the room, leaning hard against the wall. When he had gotten the phone call about Sara's attack, he had feared the worse. He had visions of her getting raped and left for dead, being in the exact situation as Keisha had been in. On the drive over to the hospital, he had promised himself that from now on, he was front row center on this case. Sara would not be hurt again.

* * *

Once Sara and Keisha had both done a fair bit of mending, a dinner date was organized. Grissom watched as Sara interacted with her new family as if she had known them all along, joking and laughing and for the first time in a long time, relaxing. The only thing that proved that things were out of the ordinary was the large bandage that remained across her for head, covering the horrible bruise and laceration. She was ok though, and he had made sure of it. It was well into the next morning by the time they said their farewells to Michel and Keisha, Sara stumbling all over the small path that led to the front door.

"I think you had too many wines Sara."

"Nah, I only had three."

"Try six."

"Oh. Was it red?"

"Yes"

"That will be why. Red wine goes to my head, regardless of what food I have eaten."

Sara leaned on him as he unlocked the car door and he allowed her, absorbing the heat of her skin and the scent of wine on her breath. He helped her climb into the car and reached over to clip her seatbelt, Sara smiling at him, her eyes dreamy."

"Thanks Gil."

He ignored the shudder that his name on her tongue produced, concentrating on getting into the car himself. He had only one glass of wine before sticking to soda for the rest of the night. It was Sara that was distracting him, the drunken Sara with the sparkling eyes and warm smile. They drove home in silence, bar the small giggles from Sara who seemed to find something funny every time she looked at the window. By the time they reached her apartment, she was fast asleep. Grissom reached over into her and fished her keys from her pocket. He ran up the stairs and unlocked the door before heading back down to collect her. Her lifted her carefully, surprised by just how light she was. She nuzzled her face into his neck, her breath hot on his skin. He gritted his teeth controlling every instinct he had to kiss her, choosing instead to watch his steps on the stairs. He placed her on the bed and began to do a basic undress. He started with her shoes and socks, taking a moment to study her feet. Her toes were round, petite and perfectly shaped, her ankle was slim, the skin soft and inviting. He placed a careful hand on the tip of her toes, allowing it to travel down to her ankle and up her calf. He stopped himself when he began to feel the tugs in his stomach, the same one that urged him to continue his secret exploration of Sara's long, shapely legs. He swallowed the feeling, focusing instead on the next task: removing her jacket. He placed his hand behind her back and sat her up slightly, before slipping the jacket off of her and laying her carefully back on the bed. He pulled the covers up to her chin, pausing to place a small kiss on her forehead. He was in no way prepared for her arms to wrap around his neck, pulling him on top of her, nor was he prepared for the lips that pressed against his in a furious, heated kiss. His reaction, far from being the sensible one that he usually prided himself on, was one based on pure instinct and feeling. He kissed her back, his hands roaming over the top of her clothing, exploring the body that he had been admiring for far too long. Reality slapped him back into focus when her hands began tugging at his pants, demanding entry. He pulled back, taking in her kiss bruised lips, drunken diamonds in her eyes and the grin that flashed across her pretty face.

"I can't do this Sara, I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"Because if this was to ever happen, I would want you to remember it. And this is not you."

Sara sighed and did something that sober Sara would never have had even considered doing in front of Grissom. She began to undress. Grissom made a point of staring at his shoes while Sara shifted and moved on the bed, throwing her clothes over his head onto a pile on the floor.

"This is me Gil. Being PC and red wine do not mix."

"I don't like you when you're like this."

"You didn't seem to mind when we were kissing."

"It was a mistake and I'm sorry. I should never have kissed you back."

Sara curled into the bed, the covers pulled over her body and under the chin.

"Do you remember me telling you the reason I moved to Vegas?"

Her voice was heavy with sleep, her eyes closed but Grissom answered her anyway.

"Yes, you said it was because of me."

"And it was. I've always had a crush on you and then when I came here, it became something more."

"To what?"

"I'm not sure yet, I'll tell you when I figure it out."

Grissom continued to sit beside her as she fell asleep, studying her quietly, trying to figure out if Sara was one of those drunks who remembered everything or whether he would have to look her in the eye when she woke up, being the only one who would know what she said and worse still, knew exactly how he felt to her little announcement. It was hard enough to have to face her one a daily basis knowing how he felt, let alone that she felt the same way.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four – Your Halo, Slipping Down

When Sara woke up, the first thing she noticed aside from her booming head and painfully burning eyes, was the smell of her room. Normally it smelt of her perfume and shampoo but now it smelt of soap and something distinctly male. It wasn't until she turned over that she knew why. Grissom was sleeping on the small seat that sat in the corner of her room, his glasses on the floor beside him, his head pressed against the wall. Sara gave a small groan before pulling the blankets back over her head. She had vague memories of what had happened the night before. She knew that she had kissed Grissom, knew that she had tried to force him into more but he had pushed her away. What she didn't know is if she rambled as she usually did when she was drunk, if she had indeed told him things that her normal sober self would never had said. She would have stayed in bed all day if her body had not betrayed her and had decided now was the perfect time to go to the bathroom. Sara slipped out of bed as quickly and as quietly as possible, putting on her bathrobe and heading to the bathroom. When she was done, she went back into the bedroom to find Grissom sitting on the end of her bed, his glasses on his face, his eyes still laced with sleep.

"How are you feeling Sara?"

"Tired. Why did you stay over?"

"To make sure you were ok. You had a few too many red wines last night."

Sara smiled at him as she pulled her robe closer to her. She felt exposed to be standing in front of him naked bar her bathrobe. He had seen her in the most vulnerable states but standing in front of him like this was the one way that she could barely tolerate him seeing her.

"I appreciate that. I need to have a shower and-"

"You have a shower and I'll make some coffee. How does that sound?"

She wanted to say no, to tell him to go home but the lure of coffee and his company was something that she could not resist.

"Good."

Grissom gave a slight nodded and headed into the kitchen, leaving Sara alone again in her room. Sara took a moment to gather together some clean clothes before heading back to the bathroom for a quick shower. When she came into the kitchen, Grissom was at the table, sitting patiently, nursing a mug of coffee. He stood and got Sara one, sitting himself across from her. They drank in silence before Sara could not contain her questions any longer.

"Grissom, did I kiss you last night?"

"No"

Sara had to give credit where credit was due. Grissom may be weak in some aspects but lying was by far one of his strong suits. He looked her dead in the eye and maintained the same penetrating contact. She knew what she had done and most of what she had said. What he was trying to do she had no idea but it was kind of endearing that he was trying to protect her from her drunken escapades.

"Grissom, don't lie. I can remember most of what happened last night."

"You do?"

"Unfortunately, yes. And I'm sorry. I tend to get a little out of hand when I am drunk."

Grissom gave her one of his small secret smiles, his hands still wrapped around the mug of coffee.

"I noticed"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You and Keisha seem to get on really well."

"Yeah we do."

"Good. You deserve something good in your life."

"I have you, don't I?"

The words were out before she could stop them. She wanted to scoop them back up and swallow them but they were out and dancing in front of Grissom, whose face was the very epitome of surprise. He forced down the rest of his still hot coffee and placed the mug in the sink before heading towards the door.

"See you later"

And with that he was gone. Sara had the overwhelming urge to throw up but decided to go back to bed and feel sorry for herself. At least she didn't have to face him at work tonight. Small bonus on a really huge problem.

* * *

Sara, after a few more hours of rest and some food, managed to crawl out of bed and out of her shame to make her way back to Keisha's house, catching her just as she was coming out of the front door, trying to do a juggling act of dogs and baby. When she spotted Sara, she smiled at her and handed her Quinlee.

"Hey Sara. I thought you would be I bed nursing a red wine hangover."

"I was. But sunshine is better then bed."

"Want to join us for a walk?"

"Sure. Where are we going?"

"Just to the local park up the road."

They walked in silence, their steps even and slow. Sara kept glancing at Keisha, studying her the same way she had at the hospital, still searching for something, anything that would make them seem like sisters. Keisha had everything Sara wanted. The family, the loving husband and the seemingly perfect life. Sara on the other hand had made no move to create a future with anyone, let alone own a house. She didn't own anything beyond the plant that Grissom had given her a few years ago. It wasn't as if Sara was unhappy with where her life stood or where she was in it, it was just that if someone had told her when she was younger that this would be her life she would have laughed at them. She had wanted a family, to be a stay at home mom and maybe work a little on the side. While her life was hardly the worst that anyone could ask for, it was still not the life she had pictured for herself. Worse still, she wasn't sure how she could ever change it. They finally reached the park and Keisha lets the dogs off their leads and settled Quinlee on one of the baby swings, pushing her gently with her foot while they sat on the bench nearby.

"Keisha, can I ask you a personal question?"

"By all means."

"How come you're dealing with the rape so well?"

Keisha sighed, shaking her head at Sara.

"I'm not. It's just that I have six kids and Michel to be strong for. The last thing any of them need is for me to lose it."

"But you have a right to lose it. Someone violated you in the worse one possible and you sit there, living your life as if nothing happened."

"I don't want to lose it Sara. If I do I may never get up again and I can't do that."

"Have you been to any counseling yet?"

"No"

"Keisha, I wasn't even raped and I still had to go to a few sessions. You need to go Keisha. You need to talk to someone."

"I'm talking to you, aren't I?"

"A professional not-"

"A sister?"

"A sister. Just think about it ok? I know some really good people who could help you through this. Help you all through this."

Keisha nodded slightly and continued to push Quinlee, who was giggling madly in her seat, clapping her fat hands. Sara could hardly believe that she was an aunty six times over. A math problem she could do with no real effort, tracking down a ruthless killer was what she did but being an aunty was a scary, very foreign concept.

"You know, I didn't really like Michel when I first met him."

"Really? Why?"

"Because he wasn't like other guys. I met him when I was thirteen and he was so quiet. I was running with a hard crowd at that point, drugs, alcohol, smokes, we did it all. He asked me out exactly one hundred times before I finally said yes."

"Why did you say yes?"

"Because I was sick of him asking me. And for some strange reason I found it intriguing that he didn't treat me that same way that the other boys did. They spoke to my chest, he looked in my eyes. By the time I figured out why he intrigued me so much, it was too late. I fell in love with him. We went out for a couple of years then we got married."

"And what did your parents think of it?"

"Well as you know dad wasn't around but my mother was and she boycotted the wedding. She died two years later before I got the chance to speak to her again."

"I'm sorry"

"Don't be. She chose that way and I was too gutless, young and stupid to try and change it. The only thing I regret is that she never got to meet all of her grandkids. She would have loved Quinlee. Anyway Sara, enough about me, tell me something about you."

Sara offered her a small smile.

"I like bananas."

Keisha smiled back.

"Something aside from loving the same fruit as Quinlee. Tell me something personal."

"I don't know what to tell you, I lead a pretty boring life."

"What about Grissom?"

"What about him?"

"Do you guys have a lot of history?"

"Yeah. He taught at a seminar I attended and we've been in contact ever since."

"I hate to pry but did you guys ever…you know?"

Sara almost laughed out loud. If Keisha knew just how close they had come to sleeping together the night before, she would have a good old laugh.

"No. It never has gotten beyond a boss-friend-supervisor situation."

"But you want it to. He really cares about you Sara. I could see it and I don't even know him that well."

"So how come you see it and I don't?"

"It's all in the way he looks at you. I know that look Sara and it can mean nothing but good things."

"Not for us. It could ruin everything we have built career wise. You know how bad it looks when someone starts dating in house? It could destroy us both."

"It could destroy you both if you do nothing at all. Life is too short Sara, you need to take it with both hands and hold on tight."

Sara nodded, choosing to store that information until a later date. She didn't need to think about it right now but one day she might.

* * *

Sara was just fishing her keys out of her handbag when she noticed her door ajar, even though she was certain she locked it. She kicked the door open with her foot, her heart stopping dead in her chest as she looked over the devastation. All the furniture in her living room had been turned upside down, her wall sprayed with red spray pain, 'Slut', 'Stay away bitch' and 'Nosy pig' screamed at her and she could not take her eyes away. She never moved beyond the door way, just gauged the mess from her front door. With tears in her eyes, she stepped back into the hallway, pulling out her cell phone, dialing the numbers that she had memorized years ago.

* * *

Grissom arrived just after Brass, who was questioning Sara while the day CSI's worked the scene inside the apartment. She looked so devastated and he resisted the urge to hug her, remembering that they were not in the right kind of forum for such public affection. He settled for placing his hand gently on her elbow.

"Sara, are you ok?"

"No. They trashed the place Grissom. He knows where I live."

"Who?"

"The guy who attacked Keisha and I. Go and have a look at what is written on the walls and tell me I'm wrong."

Grissom did as she told him too and he realized with a sinking heart that she was right. This dangerous rapist knew where she lived and had given her another warning. Next time, she may not be as lucky.

"Brass, can you do anything to protect her?"

"I can put some police on her for a few days but I can't do much else. We don't know for sure it's him."

"But it is. You just need to read what's on the walls Brass. It's him."

"I know that, you know that but until the evidence proves it, there's little I can do."

Grissom sighed and headed back into the hallway to be with Sara. She was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall, silent tears streaking her cheeks. Grissom sat beside her.

"It's going to be ok Sara. You can come and stay with me for a few days."

"I have nothing Grissom. Just the clothes on my back."

"Catherine can lend you something and what she can't, we'll replace."

Sara opened her mouth to protest but closed it when she realized she had no energy left to do so. She was tired of this whole situation and if being with Grissom made her feel safe, which it did, then professionalism be damned. She was going to stay at his place.

She had only been there an hour when true to his word, Catherine showed up, her arms loaded with clothes that she thought would fit Sara. Catherine helped her load the clothes into the set of draws in the guest room where she was sleeping before offering her a ride into town to buy some more underwear.

"Thanks Cath, but I think I need to catch a bit of a nap. I'm so tired."

"After all this I bet you are. Give me a call later if you change your mind ok? I have a day off today."

Sara watched her go before settling herself on the bed and trying to sleep. She failed miserably, especially when she realized that she wasn't ever going to sleep well again until the guy was caught, regardless of where she slept. The attack left her feeling a little insecure but otherwise fine. But this attack at her own home was the one that left her on emotionally shaky ground. It was one thing for her to be attacked outside of a store but for the same person to come inside her own home, violating her privacy and the incredible intimacy of her home, which was worse than anything else as far as she was concerned. She wanted to go home, to sleep in her own bed, not at Grissom's.

"Sara, are you ok?"

Sara nodded, wiping the tears that she had no control over. Grissom came to sit at the end of her bed, handing her a box of tissues that sat on the other side of the bureau.

"You're crying"

"Thanks for stating the obvious Grissom."

"Why are you crying?"

"Because I feel violated. Someone broke into my home and tore it apart. I don't even know if anything is missing. I feel completely unsafe with this guy still running around."

"You're safe here Sara. I would never let anything happen to you."

Sara sighed and sat back further in the pillows, rubbing her tired eyes with the balls of her hands.

"I know Grissom. I just…..It's hard to explain. I'm sorry for putting you out like this."

"Sara, if you were putting me out, I would tell you. You are always welcome here."

"Thank you."

Grissom gave her a small smile, his hand coming to sit on hers.

"You don't need to thank me. Get some sleep and I'll make you something to eat when you wake up."

Sara watched him leave the room, her stomach in knots. It had nothing to do with the feelings of insecurity; it had more to do with the touch of Grissom's hand against her own and the electricity that had zipped between them.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five – Fear of Alone

Grissom was waiting for her when she got up in the morning, the table laid out with pancakes, toast and eggs. He watched her eat her meal, waiting until she was done before breaking the news.

"I need you to come into work today."

"Why?"

"Because we finally located a suspect."

"Who?"

"Scott Whithers. I'll explain on the way. Did you get enough sleep?"

"Not really but I'll be ok."

Grissom loaded her plate up again, refreshing her mug of coffee, adding the coffee and sugar that she sometimes needed to get going. It fascinated him that ever since a few years ago when she pointed out to him that he didn't know her at all; he had been going out of his way to do just that. He knew that she sometimes had cream and sugar in her coffee, that she preferred boiled eggs over fried, and that she liked her omelets loaded with cheese with a pinch of garlic. He knew a few of her own more personal habits, like how she sometimes chewed on her pens, that she licked the tip of her pencil before she began to write and when she was thinking she flipped her pen between her fingertips. He had made a point to learn more about her because next time she said he knew nothing, he could be prepared.

"Do you want to have a shower before we go?"

"Yeah. I really need to get changed."

Grissom watched her leave before beginning to clean up the mess that he had made making breakfast. He heard the shower run and shook off the images that made his way into his head. When she finally reemerged, her hair was still wet thanks to the fact that Grissom didn't own a hair dryer.

"You're going to get sick leaving your hair like that."

"Catherine has a dryer at work; I'll use it when we get there."

"You may not need it. I have a little outing planned for us."

"You do?"

"I am a man of many surprises. Come with me."

Sara followed him out the door, her face pulled into a frown. Grissom had indeed surprised her on more then one occasion but it was usually very indirect. Like when he gave her the plant or the book for Christmas, the plant delivered and the present sitting on her desk. He placed his hands over her eyes, pressing his chest against her back to push her forward.

"Surprise"

Sara found herself standing in front of two bikes. She looked between the bikes and Grissom, the frown still on her face.

"We're going for a bike ride?"

"We're going for a bike ride. It's about time you got some fresh air."

Grissom put on his helmet, mounting the blue bike, smiling at Sara as she continued to stare at the bike.

"Sara, you do know how to ride a bike, right?"

Sara's face moved from a frown to a deep look of disgust.

"Grissom, stop asking stupid questions. I just never pictured you ever owning a bike."

"I don't. I rent them from the store up the road."

"You should just buy your own"

"And let it get rusty while it's waiting to be ridden? Now that would be a huge waste of money. Come on, I've only hired them for an hour."

Sara did as she was told, placing the red helmet one her head and mounting the matching bike. She followed Grissom and five minutes later, she wanted to buy a bike. She could feel her heart pumping in her chest, her leg muscles burning in the same way they did when she ran, something she had not had time to do in weeks. She felt free and weightless. In the stretch home, she removed her helmet and allowed the dry Vegas wind to dry her hair, breathing in deeply the feeling of peace and happiness that threatened to consume her. It had been a long time, too long, since she had felt like this. And what made it all the more special was it was Grissom who had helped her achieve this long awaited sensation of wellbeing. They returned the bikes and began the short walk back his house, a comfortable silence falling. It was only when they were close to the front door that Sara placed her hand over his, turning him towards her.

"Thanks Gil. I needed that"

She leaned forward and pulled him into a hug. It was a movement that was a foreign concept to both of them but it felt so surprisingly right. She pulled him close and inhaled the scent of his hair, the sensation of the curls under her fingers and his body pressed against hers. He pulled back first, cutting off the embrace with a quick clearing of his throat and a short nod of his head.

"You're welcome. We should get going to work"

Sara watched him go into the home, the happy, contented feeling evaporating and leaving a heavy, black cloud hanging over her head.

* * *

His biggest fear was dying alone. To not have anyone holding his hand when the moment came, when his life chose to leave his body and for his soul to become something he had yet to figure out. He feared not having the kids he wanted, to not be able to pass down anything that he had learned in his decades on this planet. But the thing he feared more then anything else in this world, was being vulnerable, to expose himself in such a way that there would be no turning back. As he sat watching Sara chat to Catherine, Nick's arm around her shoulders in a protective, big brother move, he wanted her to know these things about him. He had let Sara in a little that morning, showing a little of himself in taking her for a bike ride. It wasn't his journal, it wasn't his habit of cleaning the toilet after almost every use or the fact that he had a thing about clean sheets but it was still part of him, part of his habit and routine. Then she had hugged him. And it had changed everything. He was back to square one and he didn't know how to get back to whatever square they had been on. Brass walked in at that point, pulling Grissom from his thoughts and back to the unpleasant task in front of him.

"Scott and Andrew Withers are here. Who wants to take who?"

Warrick glanced at Sara.

"I'll take Andrew. I talked to him at the school"

Brass nodded before looking at Grissom.

"You and I can take Scott and Sara; I need you behind the glass to tell me if there is anything familiar about him."

Sara took a deep breath and nodded following Grissom and Brass out the door. There was nothing extraordinary about the man sitting behind the glass but there was something about him that was distinctly familiar and not in a good way. Brass disappeared into the interview room, Grissom lingering for a moment by his side.

"Are you ok?"

"What makes him a suspect?"

"We found a pubic hair but there was no match in any of the computers. But when you took the DNA samples from the kids, there was a match to Scott Withers."

"Does he know what you do?"

"Yes."

"So he raped Keisha, attacked me and destroyed my apartment?"

"Yes."

"Then get in there and get his statement."

Grissom gave her a brief nod before making his way into the room, taking a seat beside Brass. This was the man who had hurt Sara; this was the man that Grissom wanted to hurt more then anything else in the world. He had learnt numerous ways to torture someone over the years, prolonging death until the last possible second. For now that could wait, all he wanted now was a statement that would close this case, giving them all the peace that they needed.

"So why did you do it? We have everything on you, except why."

Brass once again pulled Grissom from his thoughts and Grissom looked somewhere on the man's forehead, not quiet able to look him in the eye. Scott smiled at Brass, a cold glare that cut like a knife.

"My son is an athlete. She refused to change his grades, which ruined his changes of a scholarship to the most prestigious sport college in the US. She ruined it."

"So you raped her?"

"She was lucky I didn't kill her. That bitch deserved much more then that."

"Then you attacked a police officer and then broke into her home and trashed it."

"She needed to stay away."

Sara closed off after that, she didn't need to hear anymore. She continued to lurk around the corner though, waiting for her chance to confront him for herself. He came around the corner, hands behind his back, Brass and Grissom on either side of him. Sara stood in front of them, halting their process. He smiled at her.

"Sara Sidle, could not stay away huh?"

Sara ignored the comment and let her fist do the talking, punching him hard in the stomach.

"That is for attacking me."

She then brought her knee hard up between his legs, making him gasp and double over even more.

"And that was for raping my sister. That's your warning, stay away from my family."

Brass smiled at her.

"Finished?"

"Yes. I feel much better."

"Good."

Brass led Scott away, and Sara watched them, a smile on her face.

"You never should have done that Sara, he could press charges."

Sara turned to Grissom, her face pulled into a scowl.

"He raped my sister and attacked me. He's lucky that was all he got."

She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Grissom stumbling to pick up the words that he never should have said. Again.

* * *

Being in his space was awkward. She didn't know how to relax, or even where to relax. She felt the need to explore his house but something stopped her. Maybe it was the stronger need to keep him a mystery, to keep him the surprise that he continued to be. Or maybe she just didn't feel the need to invade his privacy like Scott Withers had done hers. Either way, Sara settled herself on the sofa with some well ear dogged copies of out dated Forensic Journals and some much needed microwave popcorn. And that was where Grissom found her a few hours later when he arrived home. He sniffed the air before glancing at Sara.

"Microwave popcorn, a well balanced meal if I ever saw one."

Sara smiled at him before offering him the bag.

"It tastes like the same you would get at the theater, only cheaper."

Grissom took a seat across from her, munching his popcorn seriously.

"I'm sorry for what I said Sara. I know you're angry."

"I did step over the line Grissom. You were right."

Grissom nodded and resumed eating his popcorn, finishing his handful before speaking again.

"What do you fear the most Sara?"

"Depends. I'm not a big fan of heights"

"I mean….I fear living alone, not being seen."

"I do too Grissom. Unfortunately for both of us, we tend to stick out. You with your reputation and me with my ability to assault suspects."

Grissom gave a little chuckle and relaxed further into the sofa.

"Are you scared of being forgotten?"

"Honestly? If you had asked me that question a few years ago, I would have said yes. But now, I have you and the rest of the team to remember me. That's all that really matters."

"But it doesn't help, does it?"

"What do you mean?"

"What is it truly worth when you don't have someone to share it with? A soul mate, someone to come home to after a crappy night?"

Sara leaned forward, her face close to his.

"I don't think it matters. Love is important but so if family and friendship. If you can have all three, you are a fortunate person indeed."

"How do you get there? How do you gain such rare things?"

"You're halfway there already Grissom. But if you want me advice, you need to let people see you. Going for a bike ride this morning, I saw you. And I missed not seeing you like that."

"Like what?"

"Happy."

"What about you? Are you happy?"

Sara sat back and contemplated the question for a while.

"I have a sister I never knew I had, six nieces and nephews, a brother in law and a good group of friends. I can honestly say, that yes I am happy. You?"

Grissom watched her as she watched him with her earnest brown eyes.

"I seem to be happier around you. I have no idea why, there is no reason for it but I am."

Sara sighed, her hair falling in front of her face.

"We're back to that aren't we?"

"Back to what?"

"The way we were. Side stepping each other, awkward silences. Worse still, I am living in your home."

"But I like you living here. I get to come home and see you. I get to cook for someone and share bike rides. I get to be happy."

Sara finished the last of her popcorn and stood, wiping her ands on her jeans, the grease leaving streaks on the denim.

"Are you happy because I am here, close to your side where you always seem to like me to be? Or are you happy because you like being with me? Because if this is nothing more then a power trip, I don't want to be the reason that you are happy."

Grissom opened his mouth to protest but Sara shook her head at him.

"Grissom, in the past, you've used me to stroke your ego. I know you don't do it on purpose but it hurts. You tell me to get a life, I do and then you seemed shock when I am not at your beck and call. I don't want to get hurt again Grissom, so please make sure that I make you happy for the right reasons. Have a good sleep."

Sara gave him a small smile before leaving the living room and closing her door firmly behind her. Grissom, despite his shock at her little speech, knew that she was right. He had used her admiration of him to his own advantage but he never knew that he had hurt her. And now he did, he regretted opening his mouth at all.

Sara leaned against the door and tried to fight back the tears that threatened to explode. It had taken more courage then she thought she had ever had to say what she did to Grissom and now that it was out there, there was nothing she could do to take those words back. He knew exactly where she sat on the whole situation and that scared her. What if the only reason that she made him happy was the very thing that she had pointed out to him? what if she made him happy becasue she worked so hard for his praise, for his rare smiles and touches? She wasn't quite sure what terrified her more, the fact that she could make him happy by being his pet or that she could make him happy just by being herself.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N - Ok I really suck at the whole sex scene thing so if you don't like it, tell me how to improve! Read, reveiw and all that people..._

Chapter Six – Falling Hearts and Failing Hands

For the few days that they were forced into the same living space, they avoided each other. Or to be more precise Grissom avoided Sara. He couldn't look at her, knowing that he had hurt her that much, so much so that she doubted what he felt for her. So he kept to himself, he left for work early, when he cooked he left her some before disappearing again. When she finally did leave, to his disappointment, she never said goodbye, she was just gone, leaving a small thank you note on the table for him. He wished he had the courage to tell her exactly what he thought and felt but that kind of courage was beyond him. So he did what he did best. He threw himself into work, the only place that he could go where the fear of running into her was zero. Ecklie had insisted she take more time off too insure that she made an adequate recovery from the attack.

* * *

The next two weeks were two of the best in her life. She all but lived at Keisha's and was slowly learning what it was like to be a part of a large family, all the noises, arguments and compromises. In two weeks she had been thrown into the role of aunty and she loved it. She liked the long discussions with Elizabeth, the science nerd of the family, playing dolls with Ester and Quinlee and explaining to the boys how the chemistry sets worked. Now that Scott Whithers was no longer a threat to either of them, it was now safe for Keisha and Sara to make a point of seeing each other. Mostly Sara lived at Keisha's finding it easier then switching back and forth between houses. It was on one of those last days before Sara had to go back to work that she found Keisha sitting and crying on her bed.

"What's wrong?"

"Me, Michel and the entire situation."

"Situation?"

"Rape. You know, Michel and I have not had sex since all this happened. He can't touch me. He won't touch me."

"He's scared of hurting you that's all. See it from his point of view."

Keisha shook her head, the tears coming harder and faster.

"Call me selfish but the only point of view I have at the moment is my own."

"That's not selfish, that human. But you need to remember that this affects more then just you Keisha. He loves you and you were hurt and he could do nothing to protect you."

Keisha shook her head again, wiping her nose with her sleeve. Sara handed her a box of tissues and they sat in silence for a little while, offering what small comfort she could. She had no words to offer, there was nothing she could say, in her own way she was grateful, this was one topic she did not want to know anything about. After a little while and a whole box of tissues, Keisha had calmed down and turned to Sara, her face pulled into a frown.

"How are things with you and Grissom?"

"Normal."

"Define normal."

Sara shrugged and pulled her legs up under her chin.

"Avoidance, confusion. Nothing that I am unfamiliar with, sadly enough"

Keisha gave her a crooked smile and nudged her with her elbow.

"What did you say to him?"

"That he needs to make sure that if I make him happy, that it had better be for the right reasons."

"And what did he say?"

"Nothing. He's been avoiding me ever since."

"So talk to him Sara. You can't go on like this forever."

Sara laughed and shook her head.

"It's been going on like this for years Keisha. This is our little dance and the tango has been going on for so long, I have no idea what I would do with my free time if it ended."

"You could finally go out on a date with the guy that has been haunting you for the last decade."

"I can't do this anymore Keisha. I'm sick of waiting for him to see me. I actually had fun for the time that I was at his house and I saw him in a way I had never seen him before. He was a big goof. Did I tell you that he took me on a bike ride?"

"Yes. You talked about it all week."

"Sorry. I'll shut up now."

Keisha turned to Sara, her hands coming to rest on her arms.

"I have learnt many things in the last few weeks that we've known each other and one of them is that I have to listen to you talk, even if to me it seems obvious what the solution is. So talk that is what I am here for."

"No, that is what I am here for. We'll sort out your issue first, than we'll talk out mine."

"And how exactly are you going to help me?"

"First, I'm going to give a good friend of mine a call. She's a therapist and she's lovely. Then I am going to set you up with some support groups for the entire family."

"The entire family?"

"The kids need help understanding it too."

'And then what?"

"You need to talk to Michel. Tell him exactly what is going on in that head of yours. He needs to know."

"I tired to tell him but he doesn't get it"

"You need to keep trying. This will never work if you don't tell him."

"Pot-kettle-black."

Sara smiled at her.

"Shut up."

"I know what we can do. I can leave the kids with a babysitter for a few hours and we can go out to dinner, just the four of us. It can be a sort of date for you and Grissom and then if things don't work out, we'll be there. What do you think?"

"Sounds like fun. Not. You have to promise me that when I am gone tomorrow that you will talk to Michel properly."

"Yes. I'll talk to him as soon as you walk out the door. I'll make him a nice dinner and take it from there."

"Good. So when are you inviting Grissom?"

"Not me, you. You are inviting him."

"But that means going to the office and actually talking to him."

"Sara Sidle, you're not as dumb as you look."

Sara gave Keisha a wide smile.

"How about I make us some lunch? Quinlee will be up from her nap soon and she's going to be as hungry as I am"

Keisha nodded, giving her nose one last blow before slipping off the bed and offering her hand to Sara, pulling her off the bed. Sara had indeed learnt many things since finding her sister, but mostly she had learnt just how lonely her life had been before all this, before Keisha had found her. Since she had finally got the family that she had been wanting since she had been a kid. How they had found each other was hardly ideal but now it was. Sara had a sister, nieces and nephews and she had never been happier. She had two out of three, but she still found herself missing something. And that something was Grissom.

* * *

She found him in the first place she looked; his office. He had his head down, pen scribbling furiously pages, one hand resting on his forehead. She knocked on the open door and waited for him to respond. When he did, it was with a distracted voice and he never looked up.

"Enter."

"Hey Grissom."

He finally looked up, his face frozen. He pulled off a fantastic impression of a goldfish before he finally found his voice.

"Sara, hello."

"Hi. Can I talk to you for a few minutes?"

"Please have a seat."

Sara did as she was told, taking the seat across from him, crossing her legs and trying to remember to breath. In and out, repeat as required.

"So how can I help you?"

Grissom was as nervous as she was, he could not sit still, he kept crossing and uncrossing his legs, shifting in his seat, trying to find a place of comfort and power.

"Keisha wanted to know if you wanted to come to dinner with us next weekend."

"Us being?"

"Michel, Keisha and myself. So do you want to come?"

"Before I answer, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Are you avoiding me?"

Sara cocked her head to the side, her eyebrow cocked.

"Let me answer that in another question; are you avoiding me?"

Grissom sighed, running his hands through his hair, allowing them to rest on his chin, wishing for a moment he had his beard to keep his hands busy.

"Honestly?"

"Please."

"Yes. You?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Sara shrugged nonchalantly, even though the answer was anything but.

"Because I didn't want you to pressure into anything. You needed to come to a conclusion on your own without me breathing over your shoulder."

"Which was why you left the house the moment your apartment was cleared?"

"Exactly. Your turn, why are you avoiding me?"

"Because I didn't want to see you after I hurt you so much. I never realized I did that Sara."

"I know you didn't, you're not that kind of person. I just thought that it was high time you knew exactly how badly you treated me."

Grissom paused to breath, relieved that there was no anger hanging in the air. He thought that this would be harder.

"Which begs the next question; is this a date?"

Sara's comment caught him off balance and he all but fell off his chair. A date would many things, most of which he was unwilling to explore. He opened his mouth to speak but Sara caught the expression on his face. She didn't saw anything, just stood to leave. He followed her to the door, blocking it with his body.

"Sara, you can't storm off like a child before I explain."

"Grissom, you don't need to explain, your face did that for you."

"Please Sara, sit back down."

Sara stared at him hard before turning on her heel and sitting back down, crossing her legs and tapping her foot against the air impatiently.

"Explain. I don't have all day; I have to baby-sit Quinlee soon."

Grissom took his place across from her, his hands coming together in front of her.

"Sara, there are many things to consider-"

"Skip the political shit Grissom; it's not your style. I want _you_ to talk to _me._"

"Fine. I'm scared of the consequences that could come from this"

"Like what? Work? Don't use that as an excuse."

"I mean me personally. Letting someone into my life…..I don't know if I have the courage"

"You let Catherine in. She's closer to you then I am and you said yourself that I make you happy."

Grissom's voice dropped to almost a whisper and Sara had to lean forward to hear his next statement.

"It's hard to let the people you truly care about in."

"So you thought about what I said then? Do you know the answer?"

"Yes. You make me happy because you're Sara, not because you stroke my ego."

"Really?"

"Really. And that is the truth."

"Then why can't you tell me?"

"Because I don't like being that vulnerable."

Sara leaned forward a little more, her hands coming to rest on his.

"The dinner is next Saturday at The Crazy Wok. Meet us there at eight."

"Can I pick you up?"

"How about you just meet us there? No pressure, no expectations. We'll keep it simple, ok?"

"Ok. So will I see you before then?"

"You can come around to Keisha's tonight; they won't be back until tomorrow."

"Really? How come?"

"I set them up with a nice dinner and a hotel room and the older kids are staying at friends."

"So we have the place to ourselves?"

"Yup. A bit of a flashback to high school huh?"

Sara gave him a cheeky grin, the one that he had missed terribly in the last couple of weeks.

"Do you want me to bring anything?"

"Nope, just you. I'll make dinner."

Grissom nodded and leaned forward, laying a quick kiss on her cheek. He could have kissed her properly, he realized that but she wanted to keep things simple and he did too, he didn't want the added pressure of expectations that he may never be able to reach. When he pulled back, Sara's smile was wider, her eyes twinkling.

"I'll see you tonight, ok?"

"Ok. Have a good day with Quinlee."

"With that little cutie, every day is a mini adventure. I get more exercise chasing her then I do jogging."

"Well, she's at her prime. Once they start, they never stop."

Sara gave him another smile as she untangled her hands from his and headed for the door.

"Give me a call before you come around ok? I'll have dinner ready for you."

He watched her leave, continued watching even when his door was closed and he could no longer see her. He could see her in his minds eye moving down the corridor and out of the lab. He could see the sway of her hips, the way her arms moved as she walked and the angle at which she held her head. He liked everything that made her Sara; he enjoyed watching her work and the way she worked. It was just bad timing that he realized everything that he loved was her and he almost missed it; she had almost walked out without him seeing her for what she truly was, an amazing, sexy, intelligent person. She was what he wanted, what he needed and for the first time, what he deserved.

* * *

He called at eight and he was there by quarter past, dressed in fresh clothes, the smell of the lab gone from his freshly showered skin. He felt nervous. He didn't know what tonight would bring, or what it meant for them in terms of their relationship. But they were their, taking the first step towards something and that was all that mattered. He knocked on the door and Sara answered, dressed in sweats and an old t-shirt, Quinlee on her hip.

"Hey, come on in."

He followed her into the house and into the kitchen where a pot was bubbling happily and a frying pan was sizzling. The entire house smelt like garlic and Sara happily moved around, Quinlee tugging on her ponytail and chatting nonsense. Grissom stood behind her, placing a hand lightly on her back, following her movements. He stayed for a few minutes doing that, just touching her with his hand, filling the air with the all too familiar sexual tension that had become part of their normal routine. He took his hand off her back to extract Quinlee from Sara's arms, balancing the little girl on his own hip.

"You cook; I'll keep the little one busy."

Sara gave him a wide smile as she continued to man the oven. Grissom popped Quinlee into her high chair and proceeded in a game of peek-a-boo. She squealed and slapped her thighs, chatting in her own little language, making sense every once and awhile.

"I hope your hungry; I made enough to feed an army."

She handed him a bowl of short noodles with plenty of sauce for Quinlee and a large plate of noodles and sauce with two thick pieces of garlic bread.

"This looks fantastic"

"Good. Eat up."

Sara sat across from him and began to eat, watching him feed Quinlee. He was gentle and patient, despite the fact that she still got more on face and chest then in her mouth. Grissom acted as if he did this every day, which he didn't of course. They ate in silence and when they were finished, Sara stood to collect the dishes, and Grissom picked Quinlee out from the high chair and gave her a wide smile.

"Bath time for this little one?"

"Afraid so. She looks like she crawled through a crime scene"

They gave Quinlee her bath and then Grissom read her a book, leaving the room only when she was fast asleep. He moved back into the living room where Sara was trying to figure out what DVD to watch.

"So uncle Grissom, what do you feel like watching? Horror, comedy or romance?"

"Your choice"

Sara shrugged and popped a DVD into the DVD player and settled herself on the sofa. Grissom paused, stuck for a moment between intimacy and friendship. He took his chance and sat beside her, his arm slung along the back of the sofa. The movie started but Grissom had no idea what it was about, he was more aware of how close Sara was sitting next to him. He had no idea when it happened, but she began leaning on him, her head tucked under his chin, her face pressed into his chest. It took just a moment for him to relax into the embrace and he settled his own cheek on the top of her head, his arm around her lower waist. By the time the movie was over, Sara was fast asleep, the novelty of caring for a toddler wearing her completely out. He eased his way out from beneath her and laid her out on the sofa, placing a rug over her. He moved into the kitchen and began to clean up the mess that dinner had created. He was half way through the clean up when he felt her arms around his waist. He turned and pulled her into a proper hug, this time it was one he started and one he expected and it felt right.

"You smell like an Italian restaurant."

Sara laughed against his chest.

"Nice to know. You smell like Talcum powder."

"That's exactly what happens when you baby-sit."

Grissom waited until her head was tilted towards hers before he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. She tasted like heaven, a little slice of something good in such a lonely place and Grissom found it reassuring that he had found it. She pressed harder into him, an invitation that he was unwilling to turn down. He began to stroke the skin on her face and the exposed flesh of her hips and back as her arms moved up around his neck. He moaned as his hands skimmed the heated flesh. He tugged at her shirt until she raised her arms, breaking the kiss only to remove the annoying fabric from her body. She did the same to him, stripping off his button down shirt and allowing it to drop to the floor. Sara pulled back, breathless, her face flushed.

"We can't do this in the kitchen."

Grissom began to kiss her again, pushing her back into the living room, crashing into every wall along the way. He couldn't not kiss her, she was like a drug and for the life of him, he could not stop, he was too far gone. He pushed her into the sofa and began tugging at her pants, kissing the exposed pieces of flesh before pulling her panties down to join the pile of clothes on the floor. She smiled at him as she undid his belt buckle, slowly undoing his pants. Grissom pushed her hands away and undid his pants and pulled them off impatiently. He continued to kiss her as he explored her naked body, making her moan and twist beneath his curious hands. He paused long enough to put on a condom before pushing himself into her. The air was suddenly gone from the room and he could feel nothing except her. She urged him on with her hips and hands. It was over too quickly and Grissom lay on top of her, kissing her until his heart returned to normal.

"I'm sorry. I've just waited so long….."

"Gil, that was fantastic. If you ever say you regret this, I will remove your reason for being a man."

Grissom smiled down at her, kissing her again, tasting the sweat and smelling the sex that hung in the air.

"If I say that I regret it, I'll remove my own reason for being a man."

They stayed as they were, naked on the sofa, curled around each other. Neither had the energy, or felt the need to move.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N - So here it is the final chapter in the story that has had me stuck for a little while. So enjoy and reveiw!_

Chapter Seven – Another Version Of Truth

The next few weeks was nothing more then an emotional rollercoaster. While Sara and Grissom became something that neither of them would have ever imagined, Keisha fell into a pit of despair. Michel returned home briefly, only long enough to pack a few things before leaving again. Sara could do nothing as she watched her sister's life crumble and her own go from strength to strength. Sara didn't regret sleeping with Grissom, could not, would not feel in guilt over what had happened between them and proceeding results. But she still felt the deep pull of guilt at the fact that Keisha's life was no longer at the ideal standard that it once was. She was depressed, on all sorts of pills to try and deal with that depression, and Sara was living at the house again to help deal with all the kids. It was harder then she had expected it to be, dealing with a depressed sister and six confused kids. They wanted their dad home but she could not explain why he wasn't there anymore. Grissom made it easier, coming over when he could, giving her plenty of time off, making her feel less torn between her new family and the work that had kept her sane for so long. With the added stress and hopelessness of the situation Sara barely noticed that something was not quite right with Quinlee. She had lost weight, she was having trouble breathing after eating and she was just plain unhappy. It came to a head when Sara went to get her from her afternoon nap and discovered that she was turning blue around her mouth. Sara wrapped her in a blanket and called Grissom.

"Grissom, its Sara. Can you please come over; I need to take Quinlee to the hospital."

She hung up and went to find Keisha, who was curled on the sofa.

"Keisha something's wrong with Quinlee, Grissom's coming to take us to the hospital."

For the first time in weeks, Keisha reacted in the way a mother would. She grabbed Quinlee, doing a quick examination as her daughter laid quietly, too quietly in her arms.

"She's not breathing right. It's too quick."

Sara watched her nieces little chest closely and realized that Keisha was right. Quinlee was breathing so rapidly that she took a breath every few seconds. Sara rounded up the rest of the kids before Grissom arrived and they all piled into the car and drove at break neck speed to the hospital.

Grissom was the one that called Michel to tell him that something was wrong with Quinlee. Sara couldn't do it, she was too mad with him for abandoning his kids and wife to be able to talk to him coherently. She sat next to Grissom as they waited for the doctors to finish examining Quinlee, her hand clasped in his. She was terrified at what they would find. She knew for a fact that there was no way that Keisha would survive losing Quinlee, her kids were her life. Elizabeth and Kole had shuffled that younger kids to the play room, trying to keep them entertained until the adults decided what they were allowed to know. Michel arrived ten minutes later and Sara watched as Keisha stood and looked at him. He hadn't shaved, he had lost weight and he had the saddest eyes that Sara had ever seen. He was a broken man without his family. Sara pulled Grissom up and gave him a bright smile.

"Let's go and get the other kids some ice-cream."

Grissom nodded as he looked between the pair, still standing on opposite sides of the corridor. Sara led him to the play room and gave the kids a bright smile.

"Let's go and get some ice-cream ok?"

Ester looked up from her building blocks, her small face pulled into a frown.

"Sara, is Quinlee ok?"

Sara bit her lip and glanced at Grissom, tears coming to her eyes. Ester, taking the young kid initiative, wrapped her arms around Sara's legs.

"Don't cry Sara."

Sara leaned over and picked Ester up, kissing her cheek.

"I'm ok Easter Bunny. You know what would cheer me up?"

"What?"

"Ice-cream."

Ester wriggled excitedly, missing the glances exchanged between Kole and Elizabeth. Being the oldest of the six, they knew only what the adults did and Sara could see that they were terrified. Sara handed Easter to Grissom before heading over to Elizabeth, who was sitting quietly in a large arm chair, her face blank.

"Beth, are you ok?"

"When is dad coming home?"

Sara shrugged, putting her arm around the young girl's slim shoulders.

"I don't know Honey. All I know is that your dad is with your mom now waiting to hear from the doctor. After we find out what is going on with Quinlee, then we can sort out the issue of your parents, ok? You just need to be patient."

"I'm sick of being patient. I hate dad for doing this to mom."

Elizabeth brushed past Grissom, storming out of the room, Kole following closely behind. Harvey and Xander seemed to be oblivious to what was going on; they were too busy cleaning up their belongings. Sara put on a brave face, hoping that it wouldn't shatter because of the stress and frustration that had built up over the last few weeks. She hated seeing the kids like this. They were so unhappy, angry and confused and every time she looked into their faces, Sara could feel her heart break. Worse still, if Michel did indeed return, he would have to gain their trust again, which considering how angry Elizabeth and Kole were; it would be a mammoth task. Grissom glanced at her over Ester's shoulder, his face concerned.

"Are you ok?"

"I will be. Let's get the kids some ice-cream and hopefully by the time we get back, we'll know what's up with Quinlee."

* * *

When they returned two hours later, Ester was fast asleep in her arms and Xander was slumbering on Grissom's shoulder. The had taken them for ice-cream and then to the park, trying to wear them out. Elizabeth remained in her cold silence, answering only her younger sibling's questions. Sara didn't like this side of the normally bubbly Elizabeth and she could see she was hurt and angry, which was hardly suprising. When they walked down the hall to the waiting room, Keisha and Michel were sitting silently side by side, holding hands. Kole stepped forward first, his face hard.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to be here for your mother and for Quinlee. How are you?"

"How do you think I am? You walked out on us dad."

"Kole, you don't understand-"

"No dad, you don't understand. You keep telling me that I need to look after the younger kids, that I need to act like a man. How am I meant to do that when you don't act like a man? The going gets tough and you up and leave us!"

Michel stepped forward to hug him but Kole pushed him away. Elizabeth pulled on her brother's hand and led him away from their father and back into the room that they had been in earlier. Michel looked at Sara, his face desperate.

"Sara, I'm sorry for this."

Sara shook her head at him as she took the seat next to her sister, who still sat quietly, her mind somewhere else.

"It's not me that you have to apologize to. Have you heard anything about Quinlee?"

"No."

The doctor chose that exact moment to arrive, his face somber. Keisha jumped up, Michel beside her.

"How is my daughter?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Henderson, Quinlee going to be fine. She has a heart murmur which stressed her lungs and the rest of her major organs. The problem is that one of her heart valves has a hole in it. We can repair it with minor surgery."

"What about long term? Will she be normal?"

"You may have to limit her activity as she grows then we can reevaluate her health as she develops."

Keisha collapsed into Michel with a sob, her face buried in his chest. Grissom laid a quick kiss on Sara's cheek.

"Can we see her?"

"Of course. Follow me."

They followed the doctor up the hall and into a quiet room. Quinlee was sleeping in one of the small beds, machines monitoring her breathing and heart rate. Sara took a quick peek at her, just to satisfy her own need to know that she was ok. That sated, she gave Keisha a small smile.

"I'm going to get the kids home. It's been a long day."

Keisha nodded before taking a seat next to Quinlee's bed.

"I'll give you a call."

* * *

Quinlee was out of the hospital three weeks later, and the Henderson family began to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives. Michel moved back in and Sara moved out, not to her own apartment but on invitation from Grissom, into his home. She stayed on the sidelines, watching as Keisha began to adjust to her life again. They took Sara's advice and put the kids into counseling to try and understand why things had happened the way they had, with the fighting and confusion. But when Sara and Grissom were invited to dinner a few months later, things were the way things were when they had been to the first dinner almost a year ago. The happy chatter and the warm jokes and smiles. It was good to see them the way that they belonged to be. They had just finished dessert when Sara noticed Grissom exchanging glances with Michel, both of them wearing a small smile.

"What are you two grinning about?"

Grissom pulled a box from his pocket and handed it wordlessly to Sara. She opened it and found a small engagement ring inside.

"What's this?"

"Marry me Sara."

"Marry you?"

"Marry me. I want to be with you forever."

Sara opened and closed her mouth before turning Keisha, her face slack.

"Did you know about this?"

"Yup. So are you going to say yes?"

Sara glanced at Grissom, who was waiting patiently for her to answer. She loved him, had admitted it recently to him and he had told her that he loved her back. There was nothing standing in the way of this, of them being what she wanted. They could have kids, a family and a safe haven for when things went wrong. They could have everything that they wanted.

"Yes. Of course I'll marry you"

Grissom pulled her into a hug and the kids broke out into happy squeals. Sara put her hands up and shushed all the noise.

"Ok everyone, excitement over; eat the rest of your dinner."

They all resumed eating and so did Sara, Grissom's hand on her thigh, his other hand slipping the ring on her finger. This is what happiness felt like. Her family was back together, her sister was healthy again, having fought her way back from the depression that almost consumed her. And Quinlee, little Quinlee was back to her normal self again, eating and drinking as if it was going out of fashion. She was going to be fine as long as she was careful as she got older; there was no reason that she could not live a long, healthy life. This was never going to last, Sara wasn't that stupid. She knew that there would be challenges again and that the peace and quiet would not last, but at least they had each other. They were a family.


End file.
